The first project of the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension Improvements Program has received a Finding of No Significant Impact from the agency leading the federal environmental review.
The finding, along with a Bridge Permit issued in connection with it, clears the way for the N.J. Turnpike Authority to proceed with the reconstruction of the Turnpike Extension between Interchanges 14 in Newark and 14A in Bayonne and Jersey City.
The Finding of No Significant Impact, known as a FONSI, validates the findings of the Environmental Assessment performed by the Turnpike Authority under the National Environmental Policy Act. That assessment found that the first project will maintain or improve environmental and community quality and relieve the chronic traffic congestion between Interchanges 14 and 14A.
The FONSI and Bridge Permit were issued Wednesday by the U.S. Coast Guard, the federal agency that led the review of the Environmental Assessment.
Turnpike Authority Executive Director James Carone obviously was pleased with the result — but he said every effort will be made to ensure air quality.
“While the Finding of No Significant Impact confirms that the project complies with federal public health guidelines, we are making sure we stay below those standards by implementing robust air quality and noise monitoring systems and taking other proactive steps to enhance the well-being of neighboring communities,” he said.
As a mitigation condition of the FONSI, the Turnpike Authority has agreed to provide air quality, noise and vibration monitoring systems, to require the use of low-emissions construction equipment, and to continue engaging and collaborating with the community through the construction phase. These and other steps designed to avert unanticipated impacts from construction activities are included in an adaptive management plan the Turnpike Authority has committed to implement.
Greg Lalevee, the business manager for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825, said the finding is significant.
“I commend the New Jersey Turnpike Authority for doing its due diligence: listening to residents in communities near the Turnpike Extension while going above and beyond to ensure public health is protected throughout construction,” he said. “The U.S. Coast Guard’s Finding of No Significant Impact clears the way for the first step this critical work to begin — rebuilding a nearly 70-year-old bridge.
“The Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension Improvements Program is a lifeline for New Jersey’s transportation network, our port economy, and the working families who depend on both. This project will help support the growth of Bayonne, Jersey City, and Newark. The labor community stands firmly behind this project because we understand what’s at stake. This is about doing what’s right for New Jersey’s future and not letting our state economy falter.”
The Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike runs for 8.1 miles between the mainline of the Turnpike at Interchange 14 in Newark and Jersey Avenue in Jersey City. Built in the mid-1950s and opened to traffic in 1956, the Extension needs to be modernized. The 29 bridges that make up 80 percent of the corridor have reached the end of their service lives.
Construction on the first project is scheduled to begin in 2026 and last 10 years. The first project includes the replacement of the Newark Bay Bridge with twin cable-stayed bridges. The existing Newark Bay Bridge will remain in service until 2031 while one of the new cable-stayed bridges is built alongside it to the north. When that span is complete, all traffic will be shifted onto the new bridge and the existing bridge will be demolished. When the second cable-stayed bridge is completed in 2036, traffic will shift into its permanent configuration with four eastbound lanes on one bridge and four westbound lanes on the other.
Turnpike Authority Chief Engineer Daniel Hesslein said the finding was great news for the state.
“The people who rely on the Turnpike Extension everyday deserve safe, modern bridges,” he said. “The Turnpike Authority has a plan to deliver them. The FONSI and bridge permits are important milestones in that process.”
